Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Asking people to make a move...

Mrs. Huang asked, "What kind of meat and vegetables?"

Lin Qiuran didn't know if she was pretending to be dumb or truly clueless, but she was always patient with guests and explained, "It's the meat and vegetables for the banquet. Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. I see there's nothing in the kitchen, so you can't expect me to conjure up the banquet."

Not to mention vegetables and meat, Lin Qiuran didn't even see rice or flour. Doesn't Mrs. Huang eat at home?

Lin Qiuran is a chef, not a god.

Mrs. Huang asked, "Why do we have to prepare the things? Didn't you prepare them?"

Sun also came out of the kitchen. There was funeral music played on the erhu outside the house, and someone was crying inside the house. Adding Huang's words, it was very creepy.

Sun stood next to Lin Qiuran, "When did you say we were ready?"

Lin Qiuran frowned. "Madam Huang, if you had given us money to prepare the food, we could have done it, but you didn't give us any money the other day. You didn't give us anything, yet you asked us to prepare the food. How can that be justified?"

Sun followed up, "That's right. You're paying the chef for his food, so you must have prepared the dishes yourself! We have to buy the food to cook for us, how can we have such a good deal!"

Lin Qiuran didn't seem to understand. She had worked for several restaurants before and always prepared her own food to save money. If she had some dishes at home, she would have to pay a fee to have the chef prepare them. Those who were worried about the chef cutting corners preferred to do it themselves.

Of course there are also some that are managed by the cook, but Lin Qiuran has never seen this since he came here.

Mrs. Huang gritted her teeth and said, "I've already given you the money! Don't say I didn't give you the money!"

Lin Qiuran was almost laughing with anger. No matter how this person explained it to her, she couldn't explain it clearly. She always said it was wages. It seemed that he knew everything very well. I'm afraid he had calculated it long ago. No wonder when he asked how many meat and vegetable dishes he wanted, he said five meat dishes. He thought she was preparing the dishes and was afraid that there would not be enough meat dishes. He was taking advantage of her!

Lin Qiuran said, "You mean the 2.5 qian deposit, which is also the deposit for the wages? You haven't calculated how much it costs to buy those meat and vegetables. Are the three of us coming here to help for nothing?"

A trace of guilt flashed in Huang Niangzi's eyes. She naturally knew that wages were wages and vegetable money was vegetable money.

It's just that the Xiao family just moved in, and they're neighbors, so what if they give less money? Shouldn't neighbors help each other more?

She asked him to help, but Lin Qiuran was not willing to do so.

He also wants half a tael of silver. How dare he ask for that! Even if he buys vegetables, there will be some left. Who would ask for half a tael of silver in a day? It's really an exorbitant price. Who would believe it!

Huang Niang coughed, and said with an unfazed attitude, "I've already paid you, so you have to prepare the feast for me. Who would take the money and not work? If this gets out, I don't think anyone would dare to invite you to prepare a feast."

She didn't push too hard, but smiled at Lin Qiuran and said in a gentle voice, "You must have prepared the things. It's still early, so we can prepare them now."

It was really disgusting. Lin Qiuran's expression turned cold. "I should be the one saying this. Madam Huang, go out and buy all the vegetables and meat now. I can still remember that we had arranged it earlier, so let's prepare the banquet tonight and let the old man have a proper funeral. If there is nothing, then I can't do anything."

Mrs. Huang thought to herself that that wouldn't work. She raised her voice and said, "Okay, okay, you're just taking money and not doing anything!"

Lin Qiuran took a deep breath and was about to speak when several people came out of the house, all dressed in mourning. The leader asked, "What's going on?"

Huang Niangzi said, "Master, you said this is the cause of the trouble. I invited them to come over for a banquet, gave them the money, but didn't prepare anything. Today is the day my father left. If..."

Mrs. Huang's husband glanced at Lin Qiuran and said, "Hurry up, there's no time to waste!"

Mrs. Huang smiled complacently. She saw that it was still dark and the people nearby hadn't gotten up yet. Lin Qiuran must be afraid that there would be a commotion, otherwise his business would be difficult in the future.

It was just that her husband looked at Lin Qiuran a few more times. Without the usual temptation of men, Huang Niang pushed her husband back to the vigil, "I'm here, don't worry, it won't delay."

Lin Qiuran was much calmer. There were quite a few family members here, as she had just seen. Besides those keeping vigil, there were also those playing funeral music at the door, totaling more than a dozen. However, only she, Sun, and Xiao Dashi were there to cook. Although the Xiao family lived nearby, everyone else was asleep at that moment, so Lin Qiuran didn't dare leave. She had children and couldn't afford to take risks if something happened.

Huang Niang said proudly, "I'm telling you, if you don't do it today, it's because you can't prepare the feast and delay my father-in-law's funeral. Not only will you return the deposit, but you have to compensate me and pay me money! Otherwise, don't even think about leaving!"

Sun looked nervous, and so did Xiao Dashi. What was going on?

Lin Qiuran thought to herself that today might not end well. She smiled and said to Madam Huang, "Auntie Huang, I'm sorry for not explaining it to you earlier. We'll prepare the food. Mother, go buy the groceries."

Huang Niang snorted, "That's about right."

Sun stamped her feet anxiously, "Qiu Ran!"

Lin Qiuran whispered a few words to Sun, who nodded and asked Xiao Dashi to watch here while she ran out.

Lin Qiuran was still here, so Mrs. Huang wasn't afraid that they might have other ideas. "Why didn't you buy it earlier? Why did you delay it for so long? I'm telling you, even if you did, it would still delay my father-in-law's funeral, and the guests wouldn't be able to eat well. I'll have to settle the score with you."

The rest of the money won't be paid! Lin Qiuran still has to pay!

Sun left, Lin Qiuran sat in the kitchen, and Xiao Dashi stood guard at the door.

The moon was fading, and the sky was gradually turning pale. The morning breeze was still a little chilly.

Mrs. Huang went out to check several times. It was already dawn, why hadn’t Mother-in-law Lin Qiuran returned yet?

Mrs. Huang was a little worried and went into the kitchen to ask, "Why hasn't your mother come back yet?"

Lin Qiuran said, "Why are you so worried? We bought the meat, vegetables, chicken, and fish from different places, so it's normal for things to be a little slow. Don't worry, if the feast can't be prepared because of me, I'll have to compensate you for half the money."

Mrs. Huang thought happily that this was a good idea. When the time came, she would say that she was not satisfied with the food and ask Lin Qiuran to pay her for it.

She should have compensated for it. People from this village are just so timid and afraid of people. They are afraid that if this order fails, it will affect future business.

Wouldn't it be better if you came to help earlier? She would be more friendly.

This was a great idea. It would save a lot of money. Lin Qiuran wouldn't have to prepare the food himself. Two and a half cents wouldn't be enough. Not only that, but he also had to make the food. Neighbors should help each other. Lin Qiuran couldn't leave until he finished cooking.

What kind of craftsmanship is this? You dare to ask for half a tael of silver for making a banquet? Why don’t you just rob them? Neighbors won’t give you a discount.

Lin Qiuran saw Huang Niangzi's expression become distorted, and he didn't know what she was thinking. Did he want her to make more money, or to scheme against her? Unfortunately, he had no chance of either.

Mrs. Huang kept going to the door to look. She waited patiently. Finally, Sun came back, but a group of people followed her.

The funeral music outside was played by Huang Niangzi. If Huang Niangzi had shouted, they would probably have helped to stop it, but when a group of people came over, they thought they were paying their respects.

Those who came were all neighbors of the Xiao family. The lady in one family was surnamed Xu, and she had a rather aggressive temper. The lady in charge of another family was surnamed Chen, and she was very gentle.

When they first moved in, Sun gave gifts to Madam Chen and Madam Xu, and they later reciprocated the gifts. Occasionally, when she had extra dishes at home, she would send them to them to try. As a result, they became closer.

Sun called two families to help. When Madam Xu and Madam Chen heard about this, they called more people. There were four families in total, with three to five people in each family, and more than ten people in total.

They all came in a hurry, some were holding a child in their hands, and some were holding a small child in their arms.

I just woke up and haven’t even washed my face.

Lin Qiuran came out of the kitchen, and Huang Niangzi's family also came out.

Before Mrs. Huang could figure out what was going on, Lin Qiuran immediately covered her face with her sleeves and pretended to cry, "Brothers and sisters-in-law, uncles and aunts, my life is so miserable! My husband is gone, and I finally borrowed money to move to the county town, thinking that moving there would allow me to live a stable life and earn money to pay off my debts. I've been taken care of by my neighbors for so many days, and I even hoped that God would hear my wish, but who knew that God still didn't favor me."

Madam Xu came over and said, "Qiuran, stop crying!"

Lin Qiuran's voice was filled with tears. "Sister Xu, my life is so miserable. I don't want to cry, but my heart aches when I think about it. The day before yesterday, I promised Madam Huang that I would come here today to cook for the banquet. I charge half an ounce of silver for each meal, after all, my parents come to help. Several banquet chefs in the county charge the same price, but Madam Huang actually wants me to buy the vegetables and meat."

Mrs. Huang realized later that she had been tricked by Lin Qiuran! She said, "Didn't you just promise to buy the vegetables?"

Seeing that she was still crying, Mrs. Huang shouted at the top of her voice, "Don't listen to her nonsense!"

Huang Niangzi's husband grabbed her arm and asked, "What's going on? Who paid for the bread and vegetables?"

Mrs. Huang hated her husband for asking stupid questions at the critical moment, "Stop talking!"

Lin Qiuran said, "It's just a temporary solution. Besides, how dare I refuse? There are so many people coming to your house today, and they're all at home. What if I refuse and they don't let me leave?"

Lin Qiuran didn't really cry. She said, "Madam Huang, you acknowledged the half tael of silver. But don't say later that you gave me eight or ten taels. I won't take the blame for that."

Mrs. Huang was a little dumbfounded. Lin Qiuran continued, "I gave her half of the deposit, a total of two cents and a half. You don't believe that Mrs. Huang would give me the whole thing, do you? I thought I would come here to cook and get paid, but when I got here so early in the morning, there was nothing in her kitchen. If you don't believe me, you can go in and take a look."

Every household is just trying to make ends meet, and if they don’t have anything, they can only say that they are hiding it on purpose.

Madam Xu patted Lin Qiuran on the shoulder. Lin Qiuran smiled at her and continued, "I only just realized that Madam Huang wanted us to prepare the dishes, but she didn't pay for them; it was all included in the wages. She gave us a two-cent and a half yuan deposit, saying she wanted to host five or six tables, with ten dishes per table. I said four meat dishes and six vegetables wouldn't work, and insisted on five meat dishes and five vegetables. I thought it would be a decent job, but I was asked to prepare the dishes, and I was afraid of losing money."

Everyone couldn't help but discuss, "How much do these dishes cost?"

Lin Qiuran: "Let's do the math, everyone. Just 20 catties of meat cost 180 wen, and adding five tables of chicken and fish, that's another 200 wen. Not counting the other dishes, it's almost 400 wen, but the wages are only half a tael of silver. What's even more ridiculous is that when I entered the kitchen, I didn't see any rice or flour, not even firewood or seasonings. It was completely bare, as if someone had robbed it."

Madam Xu said, "Madam Huang, you can't even stop at half an ounce of silver just to buy the meat and vegetables, and you still have to prepare the banquet. You're taking me for a fool."

Lin Qiuran wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeves again. "You're not treating me like a fool, you're clearly bullying me because I don't have a man to fight with, and you want me to work for you for free!"

When Sun heard this, her eyes immediately turned red. She was really crying. "We have to wash, cut and prepare the vegetables here. We do everything. Qiuran is pregnant. She has suffered so much for this child. How can she work for nothing? It doesn't matter if you bully me, but don't bully my daughter-in-law."

Madam Xu frowned and said, "Huang Yun, you've got a really good plan. The money for the meat and vegetables plus other things will cost more than half a tael of silver. You want to have a grand ceremony, but you want others to pay for it. The Xiao family has no relationship with you, and you're so arrogant!"

Madam Xu was always hot-tempered and she pointed at Madam Huang's nose and cursed her.

Huang Niangzi said anxiously, "Don't listen to her nonsense. Do you really believe that she is only paid half a tael of silver a day? How dare she ask for half a tael of silver? She just came to Yu'an and has only cooked a few banquets. She said she cooked for the adults and the Xu family. She can brag about it. Two taels of silver is the most she can get. The other three taels are what I asked her to help buy vegetables. If it's not enough, I will make up for it."

Think about it, if anyone could only make half a tael of silver a day, they would all become noodle chefs. Besides, Lin Qiuran said we were neighbors and would give me a lower price, but now she's backing out. "So, who would dare hire her in the future?"

Huang Niangzi's family began to accuse Lin Qiuran of not doing what he promised.

Mrs. Huang was a little proud. She admitted to giving half, so what? Who knew how much the wages were, and no one saw them in person. She said it was money for buying vegetables. Lin Qiuran had a solution? After today, Lin Qiuran would never get a job in the alley again.

Lin Qiuran really admired her ability to confuse right and wrong. She said, "Who said I only charge two coins for a banquet? You are really wrong. Yu An's current master charges three or five coins for a banquet. It all depends on his ability.

If you don't believe me, you can ask around. I've indeed cooked for quite a few banquets in Yu'an, and I've earned my hard-earned money. A few days ago, I cooked for the Xu family, and I've also cooked for several of the masters at the post station. If you still don't believe me, you can ask Brother Zhao, who booked a banquet for next month with me at the beginning of this month, if I charge two cents for my work.

Sun came back late because Lin Qiuran asked her to go find Zhao Shi. Zhao Shi's home was far from the Xiao family, so it would take some time for him to come over.

Zhao Shi stepped out from behind the crowd and said, "My family is having a wedding next month. I made an appointment with Madam Lin at the beginning of this month. It's four coins a day, and I paid half of it as a deposit. When Madam Lin isn't cooking, she sets up a stall in the south of the city. I only found out she also caters banquets after I bought from her."

Everyone nodded, everyone knew this.

Zhao Shi sighed, "Madam Lin's absence for the banquet will delay business over there. We agreed on four taels of silver that day, and I've already paid half as a deposit. Those who have tasted the Xiao family's dishes know how good her cooking is, and the food she sells there is very affordable. Whether it's business over there or the banquet, price increases are inevitable sooner or later. I'm just glad I settled early."

Madam Xu agreed, "That's right, good skills make good business. If you see others making money and want to be a banquet chef, then you have to see if you have the ability."

Zhao Shi nodded. "Mrs. Lin will order the dishes in advance and have them prepared at home. Business is a matter of mutual consent. If you think it's too expensive, you can just invite someone else. Why bother to think it's too expensive after you've invited someone else and then try to figure out how to charge them?"

Mrs. Chen, who had been listening silently, said, "That's right. If you think it's too expensive, you don't have to order it. If you order it and still find it expensive, who will dare to do business with you in the future? Besides, this is the skill that people rely on for their livelihood. Why are you jealous of them making money? Who is willing to use their own skills to help others for free? Qiu Ran has a good temper. He wouldn't have come to us if he wasn't pushed to the limit today."

Madam Xu glanced at Madam Huang, then nodded at Madam Chen. Although their families didn't live right next door, they had always had a good relationship. "You've really gone too far today. I can't have this banquet, and the deposit won't be refunded. I was supposed to be setting up the stall today, but I didn't do anything for you. You came here so early. With someone like you, who would dare to stay and cook?"

They also knew that Mrs. Huang was stingy.

Mrs. Huang immediately said, "No, if you don't want to do it, you have to return the money to me."

Lin Qiuran said, "If the banquet can't be held because of me, I will compensate you without hesitation. But you brought this upon yourself. You can't refund me, or you'll be out of business in the future."

Xiao Dashi had been standing in front of Lin Qiuran. Sun was furious. "How can I return your money to someone like you?"

Sun: "Bah!"

The people gathered around shook their heads at Huang Niangzi. What a mean person! They felt sorry for Lin Qiuran because she had lost her husband. This was not just stingy, they specifically picked on people who had lost their husbands to bully.

Madam Xu supported Lin Qiuran and said, "Let's go."

Huang Niangzi wanted to chase him out, but her husband pulled her back and said, "Don't embarrass me. You don't want to live here anymore!"

It’s his father’s funeral today that’s why there’s such a commotion.

Sun and Madam Xu helped Lin Qiuran out. After leaving Madam Huang's house, Lin Qiuran said to the people who had come over, "Thank you very much. If you hadn't come, I really don't know what I would do today."

Madam Xu said, "That's nothing. It's just a few steps away. But next time you're going to accept a banquet, you should ask around carefully. Don't just accept anyone."

Lin Qiuran nodded, and Sun blamed herself even more. She had thought that since they lived in the alley, they would see each other every day, so they wouldn't be afraid of people not giving them money, and they could still have good neighborly relations. Who knew that she would encounter such a person, and even took advantage of being a neighbor to scheme against her.

The sun rose and everyone left. Lin Qiuran gave Sun some money and said, "Mom, buy some breakfast and send it to everyone."

Come out and help them. I haven't eaten yet. Anyway, the two and a half cents of silver are free, so it's easier to spend it and save yourself the trouble.

She thanked Zhao Shi again, "Brother Zhao, thank you for coming today. I will definitely give you a discount when the baby is one month old."

Zhao Shi said, "No, no, it's no trouble for me to come over. I just want to say a few words. If you really feel bad, Madam Lin, please save a portion for me tomorrow. I've been out working these days, so I won't be able to buy it if I come late at noon."

The stall business was getting better and better. When Zhao Shi went there, Sun and his friends had already left.

Zhao Shi only has his mother-in-law to help him at home, but she has to take care of the children and Wan Niang. She is not good at cooking and is not very attentive to food.

Lin Qiuran: "That's easy. Just come over tomorrow."

Zhao Shi said, "Okay."

He truly felt he hadn't been of much help; he'd only said a few words. Lin Qiuran would surely be more attentive to the dishes for the full moon banquet. Furthermore, Lin Qiuran had indeed raised her prices, and after that, it would probably be even easier to schedule an appointment in advance. It would be easier to ask her to prepare a banquet later.

Wan Niang often said that you should do things well. Even if you don’t remember, God will remember it for you.

Soon after returning home, Sun came back and Lin Qiuran asked, "Did it get delivered?"

Sun said, "I gave soy milk, fried dough sticks, and meat buns to all four families. Each family bought four."

Madam Xu and the others kept saying no, so Sun put the things down and left. She couldn't ask for help for nothing. Besides, she had already spent the money herself, and she was afraid of being resentful.

Sun shook the breakfast in her hand and said, "I bought this for you, eat it quickly."

They left early, so they had a snack, and Sun also bought breakfast for Lin Qiuran.

Normally, we would have started cooking by this time, so setting up the stall today is out of the question. Sun couldn't help but sigh, "This is all my fault."

Lin Qiuran said, "It's also because I didn't find out clearly. It's okay, it's a good day to rest."

She took a bite of the meat bun, and Sun poured her some soy milk. It tasted pretty good. "Mom, go buy some meat and vegetables on the street later. We'll have something good for lunch."

Lin Qiuran planned to grind the spices today so that he could finish them early and send them over early.

In the past, Sun would always tell Lin Qiuran to eat by herself and buy less for herself and Xiao Dashi. Even when they ate meat at noon on weekdays, she and Xiao Dashi would eat less. But today, she smiled and asked, "What are you buying?"

Lin Qiuran often eats braised pork, meat stuffed with chili peppers and braised fish.

She said, "Mom, see if there's any mutton or pork. Buy two pounds of pork belly, and some fresh shrimp, duck, etc., to make up for whatever's missing at home."

Having learned from her mistakes, Lin Qiuran decided to choose her guests carefully in the future. Generally speaking, the wealthier the family, the better the food, so she couldn't always cook the same few dishes. She needed to be innovative, otherwise it would just be good and not worth the price.

Lamb, shrimp... all need to be cooked. Lin Qiuran will try it at home first because he is afraid that his cooking skills will become rusty.

Have a good meal at noon. If I can finish grinding the incense today, I will make some spice oil and boil some pork skin jelly. I will buy pork to make soup dumplings for breakfast tomorrow.

The buns sold outside are only two cents each, and the meat filling is not very big, so it’s better to make them yourself.

Sun nodded, and Lin Qiuran gave her two cents of silver. Sun also had some money of her own. This money was used to make money, and Lin Qiuran took the majority, while she took the smaller portion. She had saved quite a bit, a total of three hundred coins.

Sun nodded, remembering what Lin Qiuran wanted, and went to the street. Xiao Dashi filled the water tank and cleared out the ashes from the stove. After that, he went out to buy firewood.

Three hours later, Sun returned. The first thing she asked was, "Didn't Huang come looking for you? From now on, when you're home alone, lock the door and have your father raise the wall."

Lin Qiuran smiled and shook his head, "No."

Mrs. Huang lived behind the Xiao family, but not next to them. She lived two alleys away. However, when she went to the backyard to splash water, she heard several aunts at the alley entrance talking about this.

Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles. There are many people living in this alley, so if something happens to someone's family, everyone will know about it in less than half a day.

In addition, they also knew Huang Niangzi a little bit. She was just stingy before, but now she bullies the widowed mother and is a disgrace to her.

I heard that as soon as they left, Mrs. Huang went to buy food. It's not even noon yet, so I don't know what the meal will be like. If the food is not good, it will make people laugh.

No one was willing to talk to her in the first place, so who would dare to answer if something like this happened again in the future?

Sun licked her lips and asked Xiao Dashi to kill the duck, wash the vegetables and cut them. "Qiuran, I'm going out to take a look!"

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